now

I am a postdoctoral research associate in Dr. Joanna Lambert’s lab in the Environmental Studies Department at the University of Colorado Boulder asking questions about wild predator physiology, behavior, and conservation. I use integrative tools in diverse landscapes— from collecting fecal samples in Yellowstone National Park to deploying behavioral experiments in suburban open space— to bolster our understanding of how adaptive plasticity in the face of anthropogenic landscape alterations influences ecology, evolution, and wildlife management.

I see my research as having three pillars: curiosity, communication, and community.

I work in this space because I love it: it’s a gift to have a job that lets me follow my questions through the metaphorically meandering wooded path that is science. Out of respect for this privilege to work with wild predators, I work to do more with less and think critically about how my data collection can be as ethical and non-invasive as possible.

I am also very focused on human-wildlife interactions, and getting stakeholders involved with my work wherever possible. I believe that thoughtful science includes a ‘what’s next’ stage that integrates science communication and a commitment to stakeholder engagement, whether I’m talking to concerned citizens, wildlife managers, or livestock producers.

Lastly, I am committed to making field ecology a more inclusive place for early career scientists, especially those that are currently under-represented in this space. I feel very grateful to have gotten to work with and benefit from non-traditional students, and know that there is always more that I can do to help this cause. There is more than enough room for all of us.

When I’m not out in the field collecting data, or in the lab crunching numbers and writing manuscripts, I’m exploring the Front Range of Colorado with my horse, Mouse or volunteering at my much beloved local soccer club.

then

My background is a bit meandering. Prior to graduate school, I spent time studying amphibians in South Carolina, elephants in Kenya & Tanzania, and teaching wildlife conservation to children in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I came out west to work in conservation ranching, where I honed my skills in moving cattle, horses, and tourists across the San Luis Valley from horseback. While my fencing skills are still questionable (that takes generational skill, I’m telling you), I learned a lot about science in-situ, building relationships with livestock producers, and story telling.